“What do you mean, not much time?” I demanded an answer.
Eala pointed at the mountains and the darkness behind them and explained - “When we come, mountain more far. Now, much closer.”
“Why? How do you know that?”
“This,”- Eala waved her hand at the scenery around us, “is world. Small world. People believe, people dream, people sing and tell stories. If many people think same, or one is very strong, a piece of world comes off from their world. Usually, new world dries quick - not strong to remain. Sometimes, people enter. People enter, world stays.”
I felt my understanding of the universe collapsing again - “So, people’s imagination can create separate worlds adjacent to their original one? And somehow, people can get in such worlds? How do you know about that?”
“We are Taistealaithe. We travel. We travel worlds. One, two, three, f-f-foo..”
“Four”
“Yes, four, and more. If find people, we trade. We sell, we buy. If no people, we get things, sell in other world. And here, no people any more. This world old, but long ago - very big. But first people long away. Then second people come. But now, no second people here too. No people, old world - world dies. See, red Sun? First, world new - Sun white.”
---
“And the world being flat and all that darkness approaching over there?”
“Flat? Aaah, first people think world flat, or not think about it. Then, this world flat too. Second people come, they can do nothing. And black comes, this is Edge. Behind Edge - no world, nothing. Very bad there. We know, something there, we never go. See mountains? Dark comes, it pushes mountains. Darkness comes close, mountains get big. End when mountains touch, then nothing.”
“Wonderful, so we got a universal compactor taking care of old worlds to worry about. So, if you, one of the Taistealai, can travel the worlds, I guess you can get us out?”
Eala blushed and sounded awkward as she replied: “I am not Guide. We need tools to know Time and Place.”
“Aaand, I suspect you haven’t got those?”
“Other group has… First, we come in two groups. We find marks of other Taistealaithe, so we come to pyramid, other group stay in old city. But, I not know how long. Maybe, they go away when we not return.”
“Just in case - if you have tools, can you get us out? How long until the world is finished?” - I decided to focus on the possibility, as unlikely as it would seem.
“Yes, easy. Just need to know Time and Place to open the way. Old, strong Guides need no tools. Guides - very strong. I, not Guide. If tools, we can go.”
“Yes, yes. So, about world?
“I not know how to say. We use travel tools to follow same time - different worlds, different time. How to explain - I not know.”
“We don’t have many options anyway. Let’s go to the city. Can you guide me there? You remember it?”
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“Yes, ruins. Get there- easy. Sun stays same.”
Eala pointed at a patch of slightly darker jungle far below the clouds - “City.”
I shrugged my shoulders - “Hm, does not seem to be too far from the pyramid. Maybe that is Bial. Let’s go, Get on my back.”
In response, Eala smiled slightly - “No. I can do.”. And jumped. Having dragged her up the pyramid on my back, I had forgotten that she actually possessed a surprising amount of vitality and agility.
---
Seeing her skipping down the five-meter steps with each jump like a cat, I felt my competitive spirit awaken. I could not even blame the testosterone for that, so I said nothing. I reasoned that I better do some tests instead.
I retreated a few steps. Then, I accelerated and kicked the stone beneath my feet. With a crack, the stone slab cracked and I propelled myself away from the pyramid. I had not used my full strength in the fear of causing a collapse, but it was enough to push myself several hundred meters away from the top. Then came the free fall.
---
Eala almost tripped, but with a quick twist steadied herself as I flew past her. I waved to her, while my fur cloak billowed above me like a tail of a comet. The feeling was surreal, and I experienced again the huge difference between being human and being something … else.
Everything was crystal clear, and I could calmly calculate the forces involved in my fall. I could estimate my landing position and how I should land to minimize the damages. While I estimated that the experienced shock would be far from enough to damage my body, the deeply rooted instinct remaining in my consciousness still caused me to feel some unease.
In just a few seconds I reached the steps a few hundred meters below the top and landed with a loud bang. The stone slates groaned beneath my feet and the edges ground together, but the stone held. I also felt some seams in my clothing stretching and leather soles of my boots tearing under the impulse of my landing.
Actually, the fact that nothing tore off me was a credit to the durability of the spird hides. I estimated, that if I had had cow leather on me instead, it would have turned into scraps by now. And going commando would definitely impact my image in Eala’s eyes. I forced out a chuckle as I thought about that, despite not feeling a real urge to do so.
---
I planned to ingrain some behavioral patterns to look more human and approachable in case we actually managed to meet somebody in the future. All because I could feel some things on mental level, but I still had to specifically guide my body’s responses. No fully automated tears, laughter or gestures now. As I thought about the problem, I remembered reading some books about psychopaths who despite feeling no proper emotions or empathy managed to act and mix with the society. And now I was aiming to simulate them. Currently I had only Eala around, and she still had a debt of gratitude to me. Perfect partner to train my social coordination with.
---
While I was thinking, Eala finally caught up with me. She was not flustered, and no sign of perspiration or lack of breath could be seen. And that after jumping down tens of five-meter steps. Humans would have accumulated organ damage or gotten a cerebral concussion from such repeated shocks, but she was fine. I could only shake my head in amazement.
“You alright?” I asked Eala.
“Yes. Food?”
With all the new knowledge about the impending localized end of the world made me forget that Eala needed to eat and rest. Amazing how she was calm and collected even when talking about an apocalypse. She did not seem to be worried at all about finding the tools she needed to get us out of this world.
“Hm, you don’t seem to be worried, but what if we don’t find the “travel tools” you need?”
“No worry. You, strong.”
“But I don’t know how to make portals, warp gates or whatever you do!”
Eala looked up at me while chewing her piece of meat and repeated as if explaining something obvious - “You - strong.”
Very reassuring. Pity I was not that sure about myself. I did not understand most of the things going on. I had been muddling through completely unfamiliar matters relying on dubious conclusions that were based on books, most of which I had read during my school days! I was much better in being a realist or even pessimist rather than an optimist. Making lemonade from the lemons given by life? I better throw them back in the face.